"You being chosen by the Court for the careful and comfortable carrying on of the affairs of this Town, do here swear by the name of the Great & Everliving God, that you will faithfully, and without respect of persons, execute all such laws and orders as are or shall be made & established by this Court, according to God, according to the trust committed to you during this year for which you are chosen & until new ones be chosen, if you remain among us, so help you God."

A Recorder k Constable were the only other public officers chosen

;

their oath points out their

The Constable was always a rep i*a 1 ">le citizen and of great authority. He, by law, moderated the General Court. The Recorder, or secretary not only recorded all orders of the General Court, but the decisions of the Magistrates, and by a vote passed in 1656, the depositions of witnesses, in trials at Law, for which he was allowed a sta'i ice, duty, and

is

mutatis mutandis, similar to the above.

,

<i

j

;

were also the magistrates and constable. Their trials were sometimes, with a Jury, but mostly without. From 1650 to 1664, about the time they came under Gov. Nicoll, there are about 50 or 60

as

cases at law on record.

They were mostly for small debts & for defamation. In 165

recover more than <£5 for defamation.

Gardiner of the

Isle

--

Geo: Lee attorney to

By law, no one could